The Historical Inscriptions of Southern India (collected till 1923) and Outlines of Political History c8.175

c8.175

A.D. 717–779. Reign of the Pallava Nandivarman II. The elder line came to an end with the king last mentioned. Nandivarman belonged to the junior branch. There seems to have been much confusion and disturbance in the matter of succession. He was opposed by, perhaps amongst others, a prince named Chitramāya. This prince was supported by the Pāṇḍya king Arikēśarin, otherwise called ‘Māran’ and ‘Parānkusa’ (*‘History of the Śrī Vaishnavas’ by T. A. Gopinatha Rao, pp. 18–25*). Nandivarman was supported by his general Udayachandra, by a subordinate chief Perumbiḍugu-Muttaraiyan (*see below*), and by the Adigaimān chief. Then were fought some at least of the battles mentioned above, viz., Śankaramangai, Maṇṇai or Maṇṇaikuḍi, Nēlvēli and others. The Pāṇḍya defeated Adigaimān at Pugaliyūr, near Trichinopoly; but Nandivarman, so say the Pallava eulogists, after that inflicted a severe defeat on the Pāṇḍya king at Karuvūr. The Kāsākuḍi grant mentions these events and says that the Pallava general Udayachandra himself slew the Pallava pretender Chittramāya. The grant states explicitly that Nandivarman was ‘chosen by the subjects’, thereby implying that he was not undisputed heir to the throne. He was descended from Bhīma, brother of Simhavishṇu, and was the son of Hiraṇya by Rohiṇī.